Bo Naylor and Jose Ramirez each hit two-run homers, and the Cleveland Guardians went deep four times en route to beating the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Saturday for Cleveland’s fourth straight win.
Steven Kwan and rookie Daniel Schneemann also clubbed homers for the American League Central-leading Guardians, who own a 27-7 run advantage during their four-game winning streak that followed three consecutive losses. Ben Lively (7-3) allowed three hits, including solo homers to Davis Schneider and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, in 5 2/3 innings for Cleveland, which improved to 25-9 at home.
Kiner-Falefa also homered in the eighth for the Blue Jays, who have totaled 13 runs while dropping five straight since winning back-to-back contests over Cleveland. Toronto’s Jose Berrios (6-6) allowed five runs on three homers through five innings Saturday.
After Cleveland failed to score with runners on first and second and nobody out in the first, Toronto struck in the second. Lively retired the first five batters he faced, then Schneider drove a pitch over the right field wall for his 10th homer.
The Guardians didn’t miss their opportunity in the bottom of the second. Will Brennan singled, and two batters later, Naylor sent Berrios’ pitch well over the wall in center for his first homer since May 4.
The Blue Jays tied the score with two outs in the third when Kiner-Falefa, inserted into the leadoff spot for the first time this season, cleared the wall in left-center field. Ramirez broke the tie during the Guardians’ half of the third when he lined Berrios’ 0-1 pitch into the right field seats for a two-run shot, his 19th of the year.
Kwan got in on the fun in the fifth, when he laced a homer to right off Berrios to give the Guardians a 5-2 lead. Schneemann added some insurance with a solo shot in the sixth against Genesis Cabrera.
Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase pitched a perfect ninth for his 23rd save.
Toronto’s Daulton Varsho appeared to injure his back and was unable to run out a ninth-inning grounder.
–Field Level Media
